Yard MD: Plants of the year: Selections highlight 2014 growing season

Jan. 19, 2014

It's the year of the petunia, according to the National Garden Bureau, which each year selects an annual, perennial and edible plant to feature and promote. / ROB ZIMMER/Post-Crescent Media

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See a video featuring some of this year’s plants of the year by visiting this story online at postcrescent.com.

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To help gardeners and landscapers choose plants to incorporate into their gardens and yards, many plant organizations select certain varieties as “plant of the year.”

For 2014, the selections are widely varied and present a colorful, texture-filled palette of choices for gardeners to sample.

Here are this year’s selections from various plant and gardening organizations.

Perennial of the year

The Perennial Plant Association, perhaps to show that the world of perennials is about more than just flowers, chose a native grass, Switchgrass Northwind.

Switchgrass is a prairie grass that is well known among native plant enthusiasts who are excited to see the plant highlighted. Fast-growing, this plant reaches 5 feet in height by mid-summer and provides outstanding texture, vertical structure and interest throughout fall and winter.

Perennial of the year selections are based upon several criteria, including low maintenance requirements, availability, adaptation to a wide range of climates, pest and disease tolerance and multiple seasons of interest in the yard, garden and landscape.

National Garden Bureau

Each year, the National Garden Bureau selects three plants — an annual, a perennial and an edible plant — to be featured throughout the year.

The organization has deemed the year 2014 as the year of the petunia (annual), echinacea or purple coneflower (perennial) and cucumber (edible).

In selecting the petunia, the organization praises the plant for its wide range of growth habits and ease of care:

“They are low maintenance and drought tolerant, available nationwide, are a great value, sport a variety of forms and colors, and some even exhibit a light fragrance.”

According to the bureau, “Echinacea was chosen as the perennial because of the vast assortment of flower colors and shapes available to today’s gardener but also because they are such an American staple.”

The cucumber is one of the top five most popular garden vegetables, according to the bureau. Cucumbers are very adaptable and have even been grown in space.

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Herb of the year

This year’s award-winning herb from the International Herb Association may not seem like an exciting choice at first glance. But once you begin to explore the world of artemisia, you will begin to see why this amazing family of herbs was selected.

More than just one plant, the family of artemisias contains a wide variety of plants with many uses, both as ornamental plants and as herbs.

The family contains such popular herbs as tarragon, as well as a wide variety of ornamental garden plants, including different wormwoods. Many of these contain beautiful silvery foliage, making them valuable for their color and texture.

Hosta of the year

The American Hosta Growers Association has chosen abiqua drinking gourd, a giant, blue-green, cup-leafed hosta, as its 2014 hosta of the year.

Hosta of the year is determined by voting within the association, and plants must meet certain criteria. To be considered for the designation, a hosta must be widely available at a retail price of about $15. The plant must also be a proven good grower in all regions of the country.

Abiqua drinking gourd matures to a massive specimen plant in the garden, with huge leaves that are densely seersuckered or corrugated and cupped to form a large bowl-like appearance.

Wisconsin Nursery Association

For local gardens throughout the state, the Wisconsin Nursery Association selects a woody plant and a perennial plant each year as their featured plant selections.

The association brings forth top-notch but underused plants in an effort to focus attention on plants that they feel should be used more in Wisconsin gardens and landscapes.

In making selections for 2014, the theme was dwarf, as more and more gardeners are finding they can grow a wide variety of plants in small or tight spaces.

For 2014, the woody plant choice is tor spirea. Tor is a compact, versatile variety of spirea with spectacular fall color and bright clusters of sparkling white flowers from spring into summer. Great for butterflies, this dwarf variety grows to about 24 inches high and wide, making it a perfect plant for small spots, rock gardens and shrub garden borders.

Selected as the perennial plant is pixie meadowbrite coneflower, a colorful, dwarf variety of echinacea. Growing just 1 to 2 feet high and wide, this brightly colored, vibrant coneflower provides a profusion of blooms that attract just about every species of butterfly found in Wisconsin.